Listeners to Mississippi College's radio station are doing their part to make sure needy children in the Jackson area receive new backpacks stuffed with school supplies.

On-air announcers for STAR 93.5 FM on the Clinton campus are fielding dozens of calls this week in a campaign that's part of a national phone-a-thon sponsored by the Feed The Children organization.

Over its 28-year history, Oklahoma City-based Feed The Children is one of the world's largest private organizations with a Christian mission to help hungry and hurting people.

For a one-time donation of $18, STAR 93.5 callers can supply a backpack loaded with school supplies to a student in poverty in Hinds, Rankin and Madison counties or believed to be homeless. There are more than 1,000 children in the greater Jackson area needing such assistance, said Traci Maughon, manager of the station also known as WHJT.

A group of children, first through fifth graders, at Pinelake Church near Brandon, recently raised $810 and called in their donation, Maughon said. People wishing to donate had better hurry. The station's phone-a-thon wraps up Friday at the Christian university in Clinton.

The MC radio station is partnering with Feed The Children supporters and radio stations nationwide to promote the cause.

Last year, the non-profit Feed The Children shipped 129 million pounds of food items and other essentials to children in all 50 states and 43 nations around the globe. The backpack outreach is part of the organization's new initiative known as the Homeless Education and Literacy Program or H.E.L.P.

For some people, $18 seems like a lot of money. MC announcers, from morning to evening, are asking listeners to think about giving up two bags of popcorn and a movie or a couple of pizzas to bring a smile to a child.

People wishing to donate should call 1-877-714-KIDS.

The Mississippi College campus radio station is working on other projects this fall, from promoting Christian concerts to a rally in October to raise awareness to the issue of teen suicide, Maughon said.

Contact Andy Kanengiser, University News Coordinator, at 601.925.7760 or at kanengis@mc.edu.